Friday Harbor

It's always fun to cruise on one of the Washington State ferries through the San Juan Islands. On board the Elwa (yes, the very same ferry boat on which some of us Contra dance during the annual Ferry Boat Contra Dance Party each summer), this time, I traveled with friends from the Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network (WMMSN).Our destination was Friday Harbor on San Juan Island for the release of three rehabilitated harbor seal pups and a tour of the Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. One of the harbor seals ready for release was Chitenango. In July, when barely a week old, he was found abandoned and starving on a beach on Lummi Island. He was rescued by WMMSN and sent to Wolf Hollow to be cared for until he was strong enough to fend for himself in the wild. This was his day - he was being set free along with two other seals that had been under the care of Wolf Hollow.

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Harbor seal pups released on San Juan Island.

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After the harbor seals had been set free, we drove to Holf Hollow for a tour of their 40-acre wildlife rehabilitation facility.

Including a juvenile bald eagle, a red-tailed hawk, a barred owl, several infant river otters, black-tailed deer fawns, some infant grey and flying squirrels, infant racoons, harbor seal pups, even a carter snake, they currently have 6 birds, 40 different mamals and one reptile in their care. Accepting only native wild animals, the devoted staff at Wolf Hollow nurses the injured, orphaned or ill animals in a very natural setting until they are ready for release back into the wild.

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Wolf Hollow tour.

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After visiting Wolf Hollow, we had time to meander the streets of Friday Harbor before boarding the ferry back to Anacortes, even stopping for food and beverage with the locals at Herb's Tavern.

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Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington.

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The map of our route.

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